#IntentionallyIrrational

Living a “When I get there…” Life

Also known as the “I’ll be happy when” or the “grass is always greener” life, the WIGT style of thinking is the equivalent of mental poison. We allow possibilities for the future and lifestyles and material things to flood our conscious so completely, that we cease to exist in our own world anymore. We’re lost to the present because we’re streamlining to the future.

I’m not saying planning and dreaming are dangerous, I fully believe the opposite, but there is a line between dipping your toe in to test the water and diving in without caring who or what you drench on the way down.

Maybe a better analogy would be to call the WIGT mindset a ‘head-cold.’ We’re so easily consumed by the things and thoughts of others that even after months or years of being content, one interaction can put us down for the count. We make our way through the haze, but eventually when the right circumstances hit, we find ourselves down again. And thanks to the internet, even quarantining ourselves is useless these days. We can stay in bed all we like, but the second we open up Instagram those germs come flooding in; wow, he’s got a great car; man, I wish I had her body; why don’t I ever get to go to these cool places? Maybe if I had a better job…

So what can you do when you feel those first symptoms of WIGT starting to attack? Below are three action steps to fight the infection. Think of them as your mental emergen-c:

Find your passions. What makes your pulse quicken when you think about it? What would you do in life if there were no limitations? What do you make time for when you seem to have none? These are the things that make you who you are, deep down in your soul; these are what you should pursue in life. The more you know about yourself and what really drives you, the less susceptible you will be to what others are doing. I’m not saying we should never let others encourage you to try new things, but the better you know yourself, the better you’ll be able to distinguish opportunities for growth from the misguided endeavors. R12:4 || R11:29

Change your thinking. When I get this promotion, I’ll spend more time with my family. I can relax after I officially make the team. We’ve been raised to believe that accomplishing a goal is the end of the story, and they all lived happily ever after, the en–NO. Sorry. Not the case. Completing a goal is not a conclusion; it’s a chapter-break. The only thing you’ve finished is that step of the journey, and the next one will be even harder. Whatever life you’re creating in an attempt to get there, will only be more exaggerated when you leave here. So if you’re already putting what’s most important on hold, crossing that threshold will do nothing but amplify that sacrifice. L12:34 || L21:34

Choose happiness. I fully acknowledge that depression and other afflictions are legitimate medical issues; I’m not debating that here. I am saying that we generally think our happiness is a product of status or possessions. When really, we have the ability to choose happiness in every situation; it’s not always easy, but the more we choose it, the less we have to think about it, and it becomes part of who we are. It’s up to us to decide if we’re going to choose in favor of joy, or let the people, places, things, and titles of this world dictate what our lives could be. Happiness is a mindset, a lifestyle. If we’re not happy here and now, there is no way for us to find happiness there and later. P37:4 || J1:2

If we’re not happy here and now, there is no way for us to find happiness there and later.

Meet the Author

Christina VanScoten is a caffeine addict who moved to North Carolina with her husband to pursue her calling as a writer. She is a twelve-year-old at heart with a passionate spirit that rivals the best of us. Her life's motto is "intentionally seeking an irrational life for Christ."